Due to a variety of health issues, I have recently decided to cut coffee out of my diet. I know… it feels very daunting and honestly a bit sad. Coffee is an integral part of the morning ritual for so many of us. Grinding the beans, brewing a pot, the smell wafting out of the kitchen into your home and pouring that warm liquid into your favorite mug is honestly my favorite way to wake up.
Cutting out not only the coffee but the ritual of it all has been hard. People cut coffee out of their diet for many reasons. Some cut coffee for mental health reasons as coffee can amp up anxiety symptoms by increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. Others quit drinking coffee because it affects their quality of sleep.
So how do you eliminate coffee without losing it? If you have been drinking a cup or more of coffee a day for many years, quitting or taking a break can be really hard. It is important to set yourself for success and try to avoid some of the negative effects of trying to break the habit
Since I’ve been on my own journey with cutting coffee out of my diet, I wanted to share some tips for quitting or cutting down on coffee and some alternative options for what to drink instead.
Tips for Quitting Coffee
Ease into it.
If you are an avid coffee drinker, say drinking two or more cups of coffee a day, you may need to wean yourself off coffee before jumping right off the wagon. Maybe reduce your intake to one cup a day for a week or two before cutting it cold turkey. Another way to do this would be to begin to slowly make your coffee less strong as time goes on.
Substitute it with something Else
If you have been drinking coffee for a long time you will most likely need to substitute it with something to ease the pain a bit. Try to add something else special into your routine. Choose one of the alternatives I’ve listed above or treat yourself to another healthy alternative. Substituting bad habits with other bad habits won’t be helpful to you in the long run so try to stay strong.
Set reasonable expectations
Depending on why you are quitting coffee, try to set yourself up for success. First try cutting back on coffee slowly or if you want to go all in, go for it! Just know it may be a rough week or two getting through withdrawals if you have a been a daily coffee drinker. If you want to still have a coffee drink every now and again that’s okay too!
Drink lots of water
If you choose to quit coffee cold turkey you may be prone to getting headaches. A friend of mine said she never experienced withdrawal symptoms from coffee when she switched to the Dandy blend. Stay hydrated and drink lots of water to help ease the effects of headaches. Electrolyte powder can be helpful as well, we really like the Basis powder.
What to Drink Instead of Coffee
If you are cutting coffee out of your diet or trying to cut down on your coffee intake, try switching it out for another option. If you’re going to give up coffee you might as well switch it for something that can still give you that morning ritual. Here are some coffee alternatives to try if you’re making the switch from coffee.
Tea
Depending on whether you are trying to cut out caffeine completely or not you can try a variety of teas instead. Teas typically contain less caffeine than a cup of coffee but also include lots of antioxidants. If you are avoiding caffeine altogether try decaffeinated teas instead. It’s still so nice to have a warm beverage in the morning and a cup of tea will leave you feeling more hydrated and ready for your day! I love this Green Tea Kombucha from Yogi.
Dandy Blend
I recently started drinking this Dandy Blend as a coffee alternative. Although it doesn’t have the same delicious coffee taste it’s nice to have a similar ritual and a darker, creamier roast alternative to tea. Dandy provides a sweet, full-bodied flavor that provides a nice replacement to coffee. Dandelion is said to be incredibly healthy as well. I like to prepare my Dandy Tea like I would my coffee– with warm water, creamer and a little cinnamon. Bonus, the tea simply disintegrates in water so no need to use a tea strainer. I like to make mine with two big scoops of Dandy blend, frothed oat milk and a little cinnamon sprinkled on top.
Kombucha
Missing that caffeine energy boost? Kombucha has many healthy benefits, one being a nice boost of energy. It has probiotics which are said to benefit digestion, rid the body of toxins and be good for gut health. Jess and I love the Vermont based Aqua ViTea Kombucha. The Blood Orange flavor is my fav.
Matcha
Matcha tea is another popular alternative to caffeine. In addition, Matcha is ground from green tea leaves and is said to include health benefits such as protecting the liver and promoting heart health. Matcha is high in antioxidants and boosts brain function as well. Matcha can be bought in powder form and added to hot water or milk and mixed together. I’m going to try this Matcha tea from Thrive Market.
Teeccino
People swear by Teeccino! I have yet to try it but it is certainly on my list. They have so many flavors to choose from and it definitely seems like the best way to trick yourself into thinking your drinking coffee without the caffeine. They even have some fun fall flavors like pumpkin spice so you won’t have any FOMO for all those pumpkin spice lattes you are missing out on this season.
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